In the preparation of polymeric materials, particularly mass processable polymers, considerable amounts of unreacted monomer and low molecular weight polymers remain entrained in the polymer product after the polymerization process. Additionally, it is common practice to employ various inert solvents and other volatile agents in the polymerization reaction mixture in order to achieve desirable operating conditions and characteristics of the polymer product. However, the presence of these low molecular weight contaminants in the final polymer product may have adverse effects on the polymer properties. Additionally, these volatile components are subject to leaching, thereby precluding use of the polymer product as packaging containers. Accordingly, removal of these undesirable volatile components is highly desirable.
In order to produce the highest quality product, it is desirable to reduce the residual concentration of volatiles in the finished polymer as much as possible. For many commercial applications, such as food packaging, federal regulations impose exacting standards on acceptable levels of volatiles in the polymer product. Thus, much effort has been expended in designing and developing devolatilization apparatus and procedures for use in polymerization processes. However, most current processes still leave undesirably high concentrations of volatiles in the polymer product.
Thus what is needed in the art is an apparatus and method for improved removal of volatiles from a mass processable polymer stream.